Please congratulate our incoming officers and give them your support as they lead our CUUPS group in the coming year.

Also, please give your thanks to those officers who are stepping down this year: Bonnie Davidson, Erin Kane, Russell Griffin, and Debbie Griffin. As I announced in April, I am also stepping down at the conclusion of this term on October 31.

Below is the current draft of our revised Mission and Vision statement. We discussed it at our Spring Business Meeting – the membership asked the officers to make some revisions, which we did.

We will vote on approving this statement at our Fall Business Meeting on October 15.

Denton CUUPS Mission and Vision 2017

Mission

The Denton Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans is a covenant group for UUs, Pagans, and friends with an interest in Pagan and Nature-centered spirituality. We welcome all who come in love and friendship to celebrate, learn, and serve with us. We are united by our commitment to UU values and our support of the Denton UU Fellowship.

Vision

Denton CUUPS is a home for all expressions of Paganism in alignment with UU values. We present public rituals that facilitate religious experience and meaning for our members and guests. We study, practice, and teach our religions and their sources, both ancient and contemporary.

We value Nature, our experiences of Nature, and our relationships with Nature.

We have a diversity of thoughts and beliefs about deities and spirits, and we recognize the inherent uncertainty in such matters. Nevertheless, we explore deities and spirits deeply and we form and maintain honorable relationships with them however we understand them, both together and on our own, even as we remain open to new ideas, new practices, and new experiences.

We work together to build a respectful and caring local community of friends and allies dedicated to supporting each other on our spiritual journeys and to building a better world here and now. We support our community by living in alignment with our Pagan values and by contributing our time and treasure as we are able.

If you’ve been to a few Pagan circles, you’ve probably seen some really good rituals… and you’ve probably seen some not-so-good ones too. Over the years, Denton CUUPS has learned a lot about what works well and what doesn’t, common problems and ways to work through them, and a process of planning, researching, composing, rehearsing, and presenting rituals that we’ve found to be very helpful.

This workshop will cover ritual theory, the elements of modern Pagan ritual, and our process for ritual planning and composition. It will be led by John Beckett, the Coordinating Officer of Denton CUUPS, a Druid in the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, and the author of the upcoming Llewellyn book The Path of Paganism – An Experience-Based Guide to Modern Pagan Practice.

There is no charge for this class, but donations are requested. This class is family friendly and is appropriate for older children. We are unable to provide childcare for younger children at this event.

If you have any questions, please contact John Beckett at JohnFranc@aol.com

Please join the Denton Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans as we celebrate Yule. Gathering begins at 7:00 PM and the ritual begins promptly at 7:30. On this longest night, we turn our minds to the waning of the dark and the growing strength of the light. We will light the Yule log, tell the ancient story of Balder and the Mistletoe, and celebrate with a toast of Wassail.

Children 10 and older who can participate respectfully are welcome to attend with a parent/guardian. Childcare will be provided.

Please bring a dish to share for the potluck after the ceremony. Donations of a dollar or three to defray costs are welcome but not required

DIRECTIONS: From I-35, exit US-380 (University Drive) eastbound. Go approximately 1.8 miles east on University, then turn right (south) onto Fulton Street. Go three blocks, turn right (west) on Cordell. DUUF is on the left, on the southwest corner of Fulton and Cordell – our illuminated sign is on the corner.

Thanks to everyone who came out to our Samhain circle last night. We had a beautiful ritual that honored our ancestors and that burned away the old year. And we had the best turnout we’ve had in a year and a half.

Come join the Denton Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans for our 2016 Samhain Festival on Saturday October 29th. We gather at 7:00 PM and the ritual begins promptly at 7:30.

We’ll honor our ancestors and beloved dead, the Gods of our ancestors, and John Barleycorn, the embodiment of the harvest. Bring a memento of your beloved dead, a representation of a deity or several of your choice and join in the memorial ritual, as we cast the last of the harvest onto the fire and celebrate the ancient Celtic end of the year.

Please bring an item of food or drink to share after the ceremony. Donations of 2-3 dollars to help offset expenses will be appreciated but are not required.

Children who can participate maturely and respectfully are welcome to join in. We will have childcare for younger children.

For questions or information, please contact John Beckett at 972-948-9211 or JohnFranc@aol.com, or see our website at http://www.dentoncuups.org/

DIRECTIONS: From I-35, exit US-380 (University Drive) eastbound. Go approximately 1.8 miles east on University, then turn right (south) onto Fulton Street. Go three blocks, turn right (west) on Cordell. DUUF is on the left, on the southwest corner of Fulton and Cordell – our illuminated sign is on the corner.

Please join the Denton Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans for our celebration of the Norse festival of Gleichentag (“even day”). This is the Autumn Equinox, a time of balance when light and dark are equal. It is a celebration of the grain harvest and a time to take stock of the year, to gather together, and to share food and drink with each other, the landvettir, ancestor spirits, and the Gods of the harvest time.

We will be holding a feast as part of the ritual, or as the Norse would have commonly called their High Day rites, a symbul, where we will share food and drink among those here, and with all those who come in peace to join us for feasting and song.

The first part of the celebration will be outside (weather permitting, which it usually is this time of year) and the ritual feast will be inside in the RE wing. Please bring a dish to share, and a favorite poem, a toast, a reading or song if you want to honor you ancestors, spirits, or deities aloud.

Children 10 and older who can participate respectfully are welcome to attend with a parent/guardian. Childcare will be provided for younger children.

For questions or information, please contact John Beckett at 972-948-9211 or JohnFranc@aol.com.